Summary
Melbourne ended the 80 minutes with four more completed sets than Sydney but the reality is they never looked like breaking down the awesome blue wall that confronted them. By contrast, the guile of Cronk, Keary and Cordner, and the brilliance of Tedesco meant the Roosters were always a threat with ball in hand.
Despite the quality on display it wasn’t the best of contests. The first half was littered with penalties and skill errors while the second hinged on Melbourne unlocking the Roosters defence during their 20 to 30 minute ascendancy, but they lacked inspiration against a well marshalled unit.
Cooper Cronk gets one more game, and what a game it will be, a grand final against the Raiders next weekend.
Cameron Smith? “I’ll have a think about it over the next few weeks,” he tells Billy Slater, working for Nine. “Lot of stuff to weigh up.” More on that to come, I’m sure.
Thank you for joining me tonight. Hopefully you’ll be back here next week for the big one.
Roosters 14-6 Storm
The Roosters have done it again. 80 minutes away from back-to-back premierships. Sharper in attack and near impenetrable in defence tonight against their closest rivals.
79 mins: Roosters 14-6 Storm: Chaos ball time for Melbourne but it ends, predictably, in a knock-on. The Roosters are heading to the grand final.
78 mins: Roosters 14-6 Storm: Melbourne’s dominant home and away season is going to end limply in the finals. Just 10 points at home to the Raiders and now heading for just six away to the Roosters. The lack of attacking creativity has been their undoing.
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76 mins: Roosters 14-6 Storm: A crucial set for Melbourne with just five minutes remaining ends with Sandor Earl knocking on. The end is nigh.
74 mins: Roosters 14-6 Storm: How do the Roosters do it? Time after time Melbourne have probed but there’s always a blue jersey when it matters. This time it’s Tedesco, holding Brandon Smith up over the line after a superb sniping run almost reduced the deficit at the conclusion of a repeat set.
72 mins: Roosters 14-6 Storm: Melbourne tread water with their latest set. In response the Roosters keep the ball safely up their jerseys to make the task of finding eight points in eight minutes extremely arduous.
70 mins: Roosters 14-6 Storm: The Roosters consolidate their position with a strong set. Crichton, instrumental in Tedesco’s try, almost threatened to break clear again. he’s had a good night.
69 mins: Roosters 14-6 Storm: Mitchell kicks the decisive extras. That feels like a game-changing kick. The Storm were on top all half and looking the likelier as the game wore on but now find themselves with a mountain to climb.
To make matters worse, in his desperation to save that Tedesco try Papenhuyzen was involved in a very nasty clash of heads with Bromwich. He is prone on the turf with a massive gash in his chin and claret everywhere.
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Try Roosters! (Tedesco, 69)
69 mins: Roosters 12-6 Storm: Storm’s lack of invention just isn’t enough to penetrate such a strong defensive line. On tackle five they again play conservatively and offer little threat to the Roosters outside backs. By contrast, when Sydney break they look thrilling and linebreak after linebreak eventually ends with Cronk almost skipping through, but from the following play Tedesco bullies his way over.
A much needed four-pointer! #EastsToWin #NRLRoostersStorm pic.twitter.com/Jh1Hs1zHpJ
— Sydney Roosters 🏆 ⭐️ (@sydneyroosters) September 28, 2019
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66 mins: Roosters 8-6 Storm: There are massive hits going in all over the ground. The endurance of these athletes is something to behold. There’s a brief pause while a scrum is set following a Roosters forward pass. Mitchell looks a bit proppy after twisting his ankle in a tackle.
In other injury news it’s now officially 16 v 16 with Aubusson done for the night after failing his HIA.
64 mins: Roosters 8-6 Storm: Melbourne’s first error in possession this half sees the Roosters regain the ball on halfway. They look so dangerous with runners through the middle, Cordner especially, and he almost crosses before some desperate defence forces a poor kick on the last tackle. This game is coming to the boil nicely.
62 mins: Roosters 8-6 Storm: Another good Melbourne drive ends with Hughes launching an ugly bomb that the Roosters allow to bounce and make an almighty mess of. Storm think they’re in twice down the left edge but they can’t engineer enough space. They get another set though and again they think they’re in down the left with Olam but a Rooster always seems to be there when it matters. The set ends with a Smith grubber that is mopped up superbly. The visitors are well on top. Can they convert it into points?
60 mins: Roosters 8-6 Storm: Solid set from Melbourne deep into Sydney territory. The Roosters respond with a decent six of their own. Some big hits being landed from both sides at the moment. You can practically see the SCG shaking when the forwards collide.
58 mins: Roosters 8-6 Storm: What a moment in this match. Following Storm’s sloppy giveaway at the other end the Roosters drive downfield and Keary’s bomb is collected by Manu in a contest with Munster before dancing under the posts. But hang on - the TMO has ruled during the mid-air contest Tedesco knocked on. Oooooooh, that is going to dominate the week ahead. That was touch and go but the bunker has seen something. Melbourne escape.
57 mins: Roosters 8-6 Storm: The Roosters can’t get into this half. Another drive ends sloppily in their own half with Tedesco losing possession. Papenhuyzen lets them off though by kicking dead on the third tackle. The camera cuts to the coaches box where Bellamy can be seen mouthing “What the F was that!?” in utter disgust.
55 mins: Roosters 8-6 Storm: It’s all Melbourne right now, but the Roosters defence is solid, even when Hughes out-jumps Tedesco for Munster’s bomb.
54 mins: Roosters 8-6 Storm: There’s suddenly some pep in Melbourne’s step and a good set tests Sydney down the right wing. Cameron Smith is animated and gesturing for his side to strike while they have the ascendancy.
Aubusson is now off for an HIA after contact in an awkward tackle.
52 mins: Roosters 8-6 Storm: Smith makes no mistake with the conversion. Game on at the SCG!
You're as much chance to stop Asofoa-Solomona close to the line as getting the Earth to stop spinning. Unit#NRLRoostersStorm
— John Davidson (@johnnyddavidson) September 28, 2019
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Try Storm! (Asofa-Solomona, 51)
51 mins: Roosters 8-4 Storm: Hughes makes a rare line-break to create good attacking field position. Brandon Smith then darts forward to push Melbourne in sight of the line. Cameron Smith is smartly to the play the ball and he times his pass to the massive onrushing Asofa-Solomona to crash through and reach over the whitewash to bring Storm back in it.
BIG NELSON! 💥
— NRL on Nine (@NRLonNine) September 28, 2019
We're in for a juicy finish.
Watch: @Channel9#NRLRoostersStorm #NRLFinals #9WWOS pic.twitter.com/SOeXhPpMdr
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49 mins: Roosters 8-0 Storm: The Roosters can’t take advantage despite an avalanche of offloads, but they do pin Melbourne deep in their own territory - until a sloppy offside that is allows Cameron Smith the chance to boot clear.
Jesse Bromwich is off for an HIA after that clash of heads, and he doesn’t look good.
48 mins: Roosters 8-0 Storm: With their first proper possession of the half the Roosters break through Crichton, the ball-carrier taking advantage of a head clash between two Storm tacklers - Brandon Smith and Jesse Bromwich. Another Melbourne penalty gifts the Roosters a set of six in A1 field position.
46 mins: Roosters 8-0 Storm: Melbourne’s third set in a row, all in attacking territory, sees plenty of neat offloads but little imagination or any real threat of unlocking the Roosters defence. It ends with a turnover in the left corner with the Sydney defensive line expertly reading the play. Idiotically, Jesse Bromwich then releases all that pressure with a needless penalty at the play the ball.
44 mins: Roosters 8-0 Storm: With good field position the Storm snipe left and right, throwing the ball around for the first time tonight and it ends with a Smith grubber returning to a white jersey after it was played at by a Roosters defender. Melbourne’s best passage of the night by far, but they can’t break through this blue wall despite recycling the ball to the right wing then Smith attempting another dribble through. This wave of attacking play ends with Cronk conceding a line drop-out.
43 mins: Roosters 8-0 Storm: Not for the first time tonight Keary looks wobbly fielding the restart but there’s no harm done and the Roosters drive to halfway before kicking to Papenhuyzen, the man with the most dazzling individual stats of the first half. He runs well, as does Brandon Smith in a safe set that has a hiatus while the Storm fullback receives treatment after slipping on the centre square and knocking his head into the Roosters tackler. Belatedly Storm are awarded a penalty for the incident.
41 mins: Roosters 8-0 Storm: Second half underway!
As the players make their way back out for the second half, a reminder Melbourne are down to 16 with Kaufusi ruled out after failing his HIA.
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Half-time: Roosters 8-0 Storm
The half ends with the hosts eight points to the good.
It was a scrappy and unambitious half from both sides with errors and penalties interrupting the flow. The Roosters look far more dangerous with ball in hand but Melbourne will feel they’re far from out of it trailing by such a slender margin.
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39 mins: Roosters 8-0 Storm: Melbourne’s bets chance yet. A solid drive ends with Munster launching a bomb to their attacking left corner. Papenhuyzen leaps, makes the catch, but on landing can’t find a teammate to crash over from close range.
To make matters worse Kaufusi has failed his HIA after that coming together with Keary.
37 mins: Roosters 8-0 Storm: The Roosters can’t capitalise on their field position. This time they create space down the right but the Storm defence forces a rushed flick pass from Tedesco and it doesn’t go to hands.
36 mins: Roosters 8-0 Storm: The Roosters again look shaky on the restart but no harm comes of some miscommunication in their left defensive corner. A safe set and a superb long kick and chase sees the Storm starting from their own 10m line. Smith guides his forwards downfield until Hughes goes for a long kick of his own to the left corner - but it lands on the line and the Roosters have another great opportunity.
33 mins: Roosters 8-0 Storm: The Roosters look so lively going forward and from their bonus set look to have created a gap for Tedesco to slip through near the posts but he’s held up over the line. Storm are punished nonetheless for Hughes being offside during that passage and Mitchell makes no mistake from point-blank range.
30 mins: Roosters 6-0 Storm: Storm can’t take advantage, Munster looking to his right shoulder in the hope of a flying back but all he sees is Finucane, and the forward is ill-suited to taking such a sharp pass on the burst. The ball hits the turf and the Roosters clear. Cordner turns a clearance into a counterattack with a superb burst, one that ends with a repeat set after Storm fail to gather a loose offload.
28 mins: Roosters 6-0 Storm: nice drive from the Roosters with Cronk, Cordner, Keary and Tedesco all involved on multiple occasions. They eventually create some space on the left wing but Tupou fluffs his lines, grasses a slippery pass and Storm breathe a sigh of relief. That breath gets even calmer when Taukeiaho strips in the tackle when there was already a teammate involved.
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26 mins: Roosters 6-0 Storm: Oof! Kaufusi fends off Keary - pretty high but unpunished - sparking the Rooster into retaliating, grabbing a fistful of the Storm forward’s afro and conceding a penalty in the process. Kaufusi leaves the field for a HIA. Melbourne can’t capitalise on the territorial advantage with the ball ending out of touch down the left flank when two points were on offer from the penalty. The misjudgement is compounded by a penalty early in the Roosters set allowing them great attacking field position.
23 mins: Roosters 6-0 Storm: Melbourne cut that Roosters set short courtesy of a Brandon Smith steal, Smith on for Kenny Bromwich. The Storm probe but again as soon as they get close to the line there’s a lack of guile to penetrate such a well marshalled defence. They get another option soon enough though by forcing a Roosters error in midfield.
21 mins: Roosters 6-0 Storm: Another decent set from the visitors ends with Tupou returning a bomb from the Roosters’s left corner defensively, setting up Keary to kick with no little fortune and pin Melbourne into their own 20m. Storm’s drive ends with Smith kicking too deep and handing Easts a seven tackle set.
19 mins: Roosters 6-0 Storm: Awful from the Roosters who knock-on from the restart handing Melbourne a full set just 20m out. Storm’s first proper look at the Roosters tonight involves the ball going mainly into the hands of their powerful forwards before a grubber is safely pouched by Tedesco. The Roosters respond with a safety first set and solid kick-chase.
17 mins: Roosters 6-0 Storm: A rare and unexpected miss with the boot from Mitchell.
Try Roosters! (Cordner, 16)
16 mins: Roosters 6-0 Storm: The first proper look at Tedesco tonight creates great field position for Keary to kick. Where does he go? High towards Chambers. The Storm defender is comprehensively beaten in the air by Tupou. Melbourne look like they’ve held up the winger until a miraculous offload (or is it an inadvertent strip?) that ends at the feet of Cordner who collects and dives over. TMO studies the vision and confirms the on-field award.
Daniel Tupou leaps like a salmon!
— NRL on Nine (@NRLonNine) September 28, 2019
That's why he's one of the best. 👌
Watch: @Channel9#NRLRoostersStorm #NRLFinals #9WWOS pic.twitter.com/6Fab7WKLrk
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14 mins: Roosters 2-0 Storm: The Roosters dive right, then left, stretching the Storm defence but then Mitchell coughs it up after just three tackles allowing Melbourne some much needed relief. Kaufusi turns security into attack with a beautiful offload to Papenhuyzen who dances through the Roosters defence. The set ends with Mitchell superbly claiming a Munster bomb in his in-goal.
12 mins: Roosters 2-0 Storm: Yet another penalty against the Storm, this time against Addo-Carr for trying to drag a Rooster over the sideline after the tackle was completed. The Roosters have a full set starting just 15m out.
10 mins: Roosters 2-0 Storm: The first bomb of the night is launched form Cronk to the right corner where Morris does well to recycle play but after an age of broken field running Melbourne regroup. That passage ends with Munster roosting a high ball with the Storm conceding yet another cheap penalty with a high shot at the end of the kick-chase. Ill-disciplined start from Melbourne.
8 mins: Roosters 2-0 Storm: Some lovely play from the Roosters down the middle with Cordner and Keary to the fore ends with some sharp hands down the left flank almost creating space for Tupou but the tap pass just drifted out of play. Hughes tries to counter for the Storm, chipping to himself down the guts but the bounce favours the Roosters - and the Melbourne man may have been tackled off the ball - and Easts can build again in dangerous territory.
6 mins: Roosters 2-0 Storm: Storm use their bonus field position to establish a sure footing before sniping down their left edge but the Roosters defence held firm. The Storm concede a penalty to relieve any pressure and accentuate the edgy start to this game.
4 mins: Roosters 2-0 Storm: A solid first set from the Roosters ends with Cronk kicking deep for Papenhuyzen. His carry back infield ends with the Roosters conceding a penalty for crowding at the play the ball. The crowd is right in this early. Plenty going on at the SCG.
2 mins: Roosters 2-0 Storm: Latrell Mitchell doesn’t miss from 15m in from touch. One play, one kick, 12-men per side, 2-0 to the premiers.
Fight in the first 30 seconds of the game.
— John Davidson (@johnnyddavidson) September 28, 2019
Never change rugby league #NRLFinals
1 min: Roosters 0-0 Storm: There’s some biff on the first carry! Nelson Asofa-Solomona took the first carry and at the play the ball throws a couple of slaps at Siosiua Taukeiaho who then retaliates with a sharp jab. Ten minutes in the bin for both forwards for striking! Wow! What a start. The outcome on the field is a penalty to the Roosters.
FIRST TACKLE FIRST FIGHT.
— NRL on Nine (@NRLonNine) September 28, 2019
Massive scenes at the SCG. 🔥
Watch: @Channel9#NRLRoostersStorm #NRLFinals #9WWOS pic.twitter.com/eHhGpzFKa6
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Peeeeeepppppp!
Underway at the SCG!
We're doing it! 🔥#NRLRoostersStorm pic.twitter.com/kEz6dU4cNu
— NRL (@NRL) September 28, 2019
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The teams are making their way out onto the SCG. The Roosters are in their famous tricolour uniform, the Storm are in their change strip of predominately white with purple accents.
Boyd Cordner did not attempt to play down the pain of missing the suspended Waerea-Hargreaves. “He leaves a big hole in the forward pack,” the Easts skipper said. “To lose experience like that is not ideal.”
If you were wondering how big this match was, Channel 9 has it on its main channel in Melbourne, including the full pregame.
How influential with the venue be tonight? After losing at the SCG in the opening round of the season to the Bunnies the Roosters have won nine on the spin at their temporary home. By contrast, this is Storm’s first visit to the venerable old cricket ground.
Time to kick into gear #EastsToWin #NRLFinals pic.twitter.com/BsKlZt7F1h
— Sydney Roosters 🏆 ⭐️ (@sydneyroosters) September 28, 2019
Tonight’s winners will have to get past the Raiders after they prevailed in a low-scoring final against the Rabbitohs last night.
Some NRLW stories to share, starting with the Broncos suffering their first ever loss, at the hands of the Warriors, in the curtain raiser to tonight’s prelim.
And a lovely tribute to Ruan Sims, the trailblazing rugby league star who will hang up her boots at the end of the season.
Warm up 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/0PuCWCBAWm
— Melbourne Storm (@storm) September 28, 2019
Trent Robinson has just been on TV and he was asked about the likelihood of a few Garryowens heading Chambers’s way. Plenty, was his answer.
Melbourne have won the coin toss, the Roosters will kick-off. Cameron Smith could barely hide his disdain for having to participate in the process.
It’s dry under the lights at the SCG, but there’s a brisk southerly keeping the temperatures on the cool side and offering an added degree of difficulty for anything aerial. Will Chambers in particular must be expecting plenty of bombs in his general direction.
Storm XVII
Craig Bellamy has also been forced into one change with flying winger Suliasi Vunivalu ruled out with a hamstring injury. That means a return for Will Chambers on the wing and the late inclusion of Sandor Earl on the bench, selected ahead of Joe Stimson who was named earlier in the week.
1. Ryan Papenhuyzen, 17. Will Chambers, 3. Curtis Scott, 4. Justin Olam, 5. Josh Addo-Carr, 6. Cameron Munster, 7. Jahrome Hughes, 8. Jesse Bromwich, 9. Cameron Smith, 10. Nelson Asofa-Solomona, 11. Felise Kaufusi, 12. Kenneath Bromwich, 13. Dale Finucane. Interchange: 14. Brandon Smith, 15. Tui Kamikamica, 16. Max King, 21. Sandor Earl
Roosters XVII
Trent Robinson has been forced into one change with Jared Waerea-Hargreaves’s suspension allowing Siosiua Taukeiaho a promotion to the starting side and Lindsay Collins to come into the matchday squad.
There was some speculation over co-captain Jake Friend’s availability but he remains sidelined with an arm injury, while any rumours over the fitness of Luke Keary also proved unfounded.
1. James Tedesco, 2. Daniel Tupou, 3. Latrell Mitchell, 4. Joseph Manu, 5. Brett Morris, 6. Luke Keary, 7. Cooper Cronk, 8. Isaac Liu, 9. Sam Verrills, 10. Siosiua Taukeiaho, 11. Boyd Cordner (c), 12. Mitchell Aubusson, 13. Victor Radley. Interchange: 14. Angus Crichton, 15. Zane Tetevano, 16. Nat Butcher, 17. Lindsay Collins
Preamble
Hello everybody and welcome to live coverage of the NRL preliminary final between the Roosters and Storm from the SCG. Kick-off in Sydney is around 7.50pm.
The top two sides on this year’s ladder, last season’s grand finalists, and the most recent two premiers; match-ups do not get any bigger than this. Without intending to troll Raiders supporters, this fixture ought to be the grand final, but Canberra’s excellence against Melbourne a fortnight ago and Souths last night means tonight’s blockbuster is for the right to face the Raiders next weekend.
There are narratives wherever you look, not least the fact tonight could be the final appearance in the career of either Cooper Cronk or Cameron Smith, the future immortals once bosom buddies now fierce rivals. The playmaking duo have done it all in their long and distinguished careers and tonight’s clash promises to rank up there with the most challenging of all their past assignments.
In two matches this season the wins have been shared with the final margins just one and two points. In the past seven meetings between these juggernauts only once has the margin been greater than five points. Only once in the last 14 occasions this fixture has been played has either side scored more than 26 points. No match could be more guaranteed to be an arm-wrestle.
If you want to join in before play begins, you can find me on Twitter - @JPHowcroft, or drop an email to jonathan.howcroft.casual@theguardian.com.
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